Hospital - 5 total days

                                              Bula Vinaka from the Hospital! 

Well, week 5 down and I got some bad news. As you know, my flight plans came last week and I'm supposed to leave on this coming Monday, in 2 days. Unfortunately there has been a change of plans. I had one last doctor checkup this last Wednesday because they wanted to make sure everything was all good before I left. Well, as it turns out, they're not. I went in for a CT scan Thursday morning and I had a ruptured appendix. So I had to get surgery. I got surgery later that afternoon and have been recovering in a hospital bed since. It's been a little rough!

The Doctor has told me that he thinks I will be out of the Hospital maybe on Monday. They've also told me varying times as far as when I'll return to the field. It could take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month before they'll clear me to go. So once I'm out of the hospital I'm actually gonna just go home until I'm cleared, because I've finished my time at the MTC. Once I'm cleared, I'll head directly to the Fijian islands.

It's been a long week for me. I was in pain all week and now recovering from surgery is almost even more painful. But I'm getting better! Everyday I get a little bit better and feel a little less pain. I'm grateful that this happened here in the US rather than out on some random Fijian island where who knows what the Health Care is like.

I'd just like to thank all of you that reached out. I've had countless people extend their good wishes and offer to help whether it's family members, friends, missionaries, or even just random families through my mom's Facebook posts. Thank you! It means so much to know that so many people care about me and are wishing me well. I can FEEL your prayers strengthening me. I will continue to have Faith that the Lord has a plan for me and I'll keep waiting to see what that is. I know that as I press forward and trust in the Lord, that everything will turn out ok. I love you all, and hope that everything is going well!

Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Miller

Appendectomy

LET HIM REST, FOR WHEN HE WAKES, HE WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS

Jaxson was taken from the MTC yesterday, 9/17/15, to The Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo Utah for an emergency appendectomy. The doctor found his appendix had ruptured and was in such a terrible state that the doctor was concerned for the residual effects and remnants that could cause additional infections. This poor missionary was walking and living with a ruptured appendix for a week.  

It has been 1 day  - our missionary is recovering like a champion! His heart is on his mission and his missionary friends and companions.  He prays for them.  How beautiful a spirit.  Please pray for Jaxson's quick recovery as he has such a sweet and strong desire to serve the people of Fiji.  We feel so much gratitude and feel so blessed that Jaxson had a safe surgery and was able to receive the care he needed before he departed for Fiji.  The Lords tender mercies were upon him and our family.  We continually pray with love and gratitude for this amazing blessing and for our friends, family and acquaintances for their love, concern and support. "We are not alone".  We definitely feel the heavenly angels around him and the earthly angels around all of us here on earth.  We love you all! 

~The Miller Family 

 (Jeremy, Tauna, Elder Jaxson, Bailey, Cameron, Quin)  

MTC - Week 4

Week 4 down - Bula vinaka!

Holy cow, do I have a lot to tell you guys. This week was SO busy.

First of all, being called as a Zone Leader has been SO fun for me. We got to escort the new International Missionaries around all day on Tuesday. That was a BLAST. And get this: One of the new missionaries in our Zone is from Fiji! I think she got SO sick of me by the end of the day, cuz I would constantly try to talk to her in my broken Fijian. It was awesome to talk with a real Fijian though! The calling has definitely made me 10 times more busy here, but it's so worth it. It's so fun!

Second of all, I got my flight plans today!! It is soooo exciting! I leave at 7:30 pm on Monday, Sep. 21st and arrive in Fiji at 5:50 am on the 23rd. A long time flying, but I couldn't be more excited!

Ok, lastly I want to tell you guys a story of the mercy of the Lord, and how I know he has a specific plan for me.

It started on thursday morning (yesterday). After breakfast I got to class, and started to notice that my stomach was hurting really bad. So I lasted until the end of class, and went back to the residence. I took some Pepto Bismol and tried to take a nap. But the Pepto did absolutely NOTHING. I was laying in my bed, writhing in pain. So my companion gave me a blessing. As soon as he finished, he looked at me and told me he was going to take me to the Doctor. So I get to the Doctor's office at the MTC, and they tell me they're full. So they send me to BYU Urgent care just down the street. After they do some tests on me, they have no idea what's wrong with me. They were worried that it was a Gall Bladder attack. So they sent me to the ER a few blocks away. Of course, right when I get to the ER, the pain goes away. So the ER does an ultrasound on me anyways, and finds nothing. They told me it could be the beginning of Appendicitis, but that I should just wait it out and see what happens. So after spending 8 hours in various hospital rooms, they just sent me home and told me good luck. 

So I got home, and took some Advil. I was knocked out in about half an hour. But at about 1 o'clock in the morning I woke up to the most excruciating pain I've ever felt. My whole body was shaking, I was vomiting, and I had a fever of 104. So the paramedics came. After calming me down, they sent me in an MTC shuttle straight to the ER. When I got there, the Doctor said he was sure I had Appendicitis, and that I was going to need surgery that would put me out for about 6 weeks. My heart sank. That would mean no Fiji for a month and a half. But the Lord had other plans. Right before my surgery, the Doctor decided to give me a CT Scan real quick. It was a last-second decision. When I came out of the CT Scan, I sat waiting for like an hour for the results. FINALLY the Doc came in and told me some really good news. It was not Appendicitis. I have a Viral infection in the Lymph Nodes and tissue surrounding my Appendix and it did not require surgery!

I'll still be out all weekend, and my companion needs to wheel me around in a wheelchair. But I will most likely be able to go to Fiji on time! As soon as I got those results I was SOO happy. I know the Lord has a plan for me. I know He needs me to go to the beautiful islands of Fiji and share the gospel. I know that this gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I feel it each and every day. I love being a Missionary!!

Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

MTC - Week 3

Bula vinaka! - Week 3

Well, another week down! Luckily this time I LOST a couple pounds. Haha. I figured I should probably actually do something active during Gym time instead of Frisbee and Botchi ball. And it probably also helps that I'm getting pretty sick of the food, so I don't eat as much. Everything is SO unhealthy here. Monday's and Wednesday's are BYU Creamery days, and on Friday's we get Papa John's. And then all the other days are even worse. Haha. I can't wait to get to Fiji where I'll be eating fish caught an hour before, fresh vegetables, exotic fruits, and even the genuine Indian food sounds so good.

Holy cow, a LOT happened this week. I'll try to keep it quick! I feel like I always write too much... Haha.

So last Saturday, we had what was called TRC. We teach two, 25 minute lessons to actual Fijians. I was SOOOO nervous for it all week. But oh man was I wrong to be nervous. It was the funnest thing that's happened to me yet. The first lesson I taught was actually to 2 palagi's [pah-long-ee's], or white guys, who served missions in Fiji. So I literally just talked to them about their missions and then gave a quick 5 minute spiritual thought. One of them was wearing a sulu! (the skirt I'll wear for 2 years) After we were done he gave it to my companion! So obviously I had to try it on. Words cannot describe how excited I am to go to Fiji and wear them all the time!!

This week I also got called to be Zone Leader! That puts me and my companion in charge of all 75 missionaries in our zone! When my Branch President interviewed me for it, he said this, "I take every new calling I get in the Church as a call to repentance. I look at what I need to repent of and change now so that I can serve in my calling the way Christ would." It was a really humbling experience. I know I have SO much to work on. But I'm excited to serve to the best of my ability, and I know the Lord will do the rest!

Oh yeah, also. It's not a huge deal or anything but AN APOSTLE OF THE LORD CAME AND SPOKE TO US!! Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles spoke to us in our devotional on Tuesday. It was amazing. I took straight 3 pages of notes. It felt like every single thing he said was directed to me personally, which I guess in a way it was. It was so powerful. You could just feel of his testimony and knowledge of the truth of this gospel. 

Ok lastly I wanted to end with a cool story I heard. It's called the Lamp Salesman.

"One day I got a knock at the door. It was a lamp salesman. I already had a lamp, but I figured I'd let him in anyways. When he got in he didn't belittle my current lamp, or even really mention it at all. He simply walked in, and asked if he could show me his lamp. I figured, 'Why not?' He placed his lamp down next to mine, and plugged it in. He did not need to say ANY more. I immediately purchased the lamp. For when he plugged in his lamp, its brightness and magnificence was unlike anything I had ever seen."

I cannot wait to get to the beautiful islands of Fiji, and show my lamp to as many people as I can. This gospel is amazing, and brings pure joy and happiness into lives!

Au lomani kemuni!

Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller